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Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Surrey is where all officers in the British Army are trained to take on the responsibilities of leading the soldiers under their command.

More than 80 percent of officer cadets are university graduates, but some arrive with A-levels or equivalents. Others are serving soldiers who have been selected for officer training, and some come from overseas, having been chosen by their own country’s army to train at the world famous Academy. People cannot undertake training at their own private expense.

The Commissioning Course for Regular Army officers is 48 weeks long, including recess periods. It runs three times a year, starting in January, May and September. The Army Reserve course is shorter, as is the training course Sandhurst offers military personnel with professional qualifications in areas such as law and medicine.

Training at Sandhurst covers military, practical and academic subjects, and while it is mentally and physically demanding, there’s also plenty of time set aside for sport and adventurous training.

It’s a proud day for officer cadets going into the Regular Army when they finally march up the steps of Old College to be commissioned as officers at the end of the prestigious Sovereign’s Parade.

Sandhurst Commissioning Course taster video

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is where all officers in the British Army are trained to take on the responsibilities of leading the soldiers under their command. Get a cadet's eye view of what the Commissioning Course is all about in our new introductory film.

Watch this short taster video and then follow the link below to watch the full 27-minute film on YouTube.